[BC] Cell Phone Number Questions

[Broadcast List USER]

Cell/PCS to Cell/PCS porting is quick.  If your cellular company has  
their act together (mostly the store you are in) it can take 20  
minutes or less.  It MAY take as long as two hours.  The entire  
porting thing came about because people wanted to change CELL/PCS  
providers and not change their number.  Porting land line numbers was  
kind of an afterthought and the wireline companies don't really like  
to do it.  Sometimes it goes off without too much trouble, and other  
times, not.  While the wireline companies may not like to do it, some  
VoIP and cable companies pretty much refuse.

Also, there ARE exceptions for very small phone companies using  
outdated equipment.  It is pretty hard to do a translation for a  
stepper switch!  OK, its impossible.

Porting numbers is NOT free.  It costs something like $25 or $50 (I  
don't recall) for NuStar to process it into their database.  I'm  
going to bet there are discounts for multiple numbers.  The cell  
companies eat it.  It is a cost of customer aqusition, and required  
by rule.  Most other companies eat it too, but some don't.  Some of  
the bulk VoIP companies pass it through.  I am going through that  
right now.  I am going to a bulk VoIP provider ($2/number/month, no  
per seat fee) and they charge for porting.  My home and office  
numbers are going to be ported, as well as my Toll Free numbers, but  
I have Philidelphia numbers, and while they are good numbers, I don't  
think I am going to pay to port them.  I'll just get some new 215  
numbers.  The only people who have them are family and a few very  
close friends.

Then there are the cable companies, and some VoIP providers.  Once  
they get YOUR number, even if you ported it to them, they don't want  
to give it up.  Be sure to READ the Terms of Service before you go  
with one of these companies.  You might end up losing a home phone  
number you have had for 30 years if you try to port away from them.

The time to port your land line number to your cell was when you  
signed up for cell service.  I'm not sure what they will charge you  
now.  Depending on the company, they may or may not want to do it.   
You MIGHT have been able to have them port your home number to your  
new cell, then contacted your wireline company and ask them to not  
discontinue the service and give you a new home number.  I don't know.

(Sorry for the delay.  This was stuck in my out box.)

--chip

Begin forwarded message:

> Message: 7
> Date: Wed, 21 May 2008 17:00:05 -0700
> From: "Paul B. Walker, Jr." <walkerbroadcasting at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [BC] Cell Phone Number Questions
> To: "Broadcasters' Mailing List" <broadcast at radiolists.net>
> Message-ID: <7.0.1.0.2.20080521165956.046a5880 at oldradio.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
>
> No, the rules don't apply to them.
>
> When I had my number ported form the small independent company to
> Charter.. Charter told me it'd take 10 days to 2 weeks. About day 25,
> my rep told me "They were being the toughest they'd ever seen".
>
> Charter came to install the internet, tv and phone service around day
> 30 and it still wasnt ready.. about Day 40, I had to threaten the
> phone company by reporting them to various federal and state agencies
> before they'd fork over my number.
>
> I know the porting of numbers doesnt cost anything.. but my uqesiton
> about cost was.. could I HAVE 2 numbers on my cell without actually
> having 2 lines? (Like you would with a family plan?
>
> Paul